25% Transfer Bonus from Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy (Ending Soon)

In October 2023, American Express Canada launched a 25% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy. The transfer bonus event is set to expire on November 30, 2023, so be sure to initiate your transfer before then if you wish to take advantage of the promotion. 

If you have reason to transfer Amex MR points to Marriott Bonvoy, this is a good opportunity to squeeze some more value out of your points to book hotels, or to transfer points to airline programs. 

25% Transfer Bonus to Marriott Bonvoy

The standard transfer ratio from Canadian-issued American Express Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy is 1:1.2: for every 1,000 MR points transferred, you’d receive 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points.

On the American Express website, this is the ratio displayed when you go to initiate a transfer.

However, under the Product Information tab, it clearly displays that the transfer bonus is in effect, even though some typos make it a bit difficult to parse at first glance.

With a 25% bonus, this transfer ratio has been bumped up to an effective 1:1.5 ratio: 1,000 MR points will earn you 1,500 Marriott Bonvoy points. 

After you’ve made a transfer, the extra 25% bonus points typically come in a separate chunk from the standard transfer amount.

Transfers to Marriott Bonvoy are officially slated to take two business days to complete; however, in practise it happens instantly.

The name and address should match between your Amex MR and Marriott Bonvoy accounts — although keep in mind that Marriott Bonvoy members can send up to 100,000 points per calendar year to another member, and can receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year cumulatively from other members.

Is It a Good Deal to Transfer Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy?

Converting Amex MR points into Marriott Bonvoy points represents one of the many potential valuable uses, although even with the 25% transfer bonus in play, it may not necessarily be the best use of MR points.

That’s because MR points can be transferred to airline frequent flyer programs as well (notably Aeroplan or British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio), which typically provide better value when redeemed for flights in premium cabins, compared to the average hotel redemption via Marriott Bonvoy.

If you’ve already got enough points to cover your flights, though, then…